An Australian father allegedly caught with methamphetamine in Bali has had the most serious charges dropped after authorities agreed the drugs were for personal use only.
Troy Smith, from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was allegedly caught with 3.19g of methamphetamine at the Champlung Mas hotel in Legian, Bali, on April 30.
Police allegedly found another 0.4g of drugs that had been bought in Bali, along with a water pipe and a lighter.
Smith, 49, was charged with drug possession before Indonesian authorities upgraded him to drug trafficking, a maximum penalty that carries life in prison.
Troy Smith, 49, no longer faces life behind bars after allegedly being caught with methamphetamine in Bali.
The package delivered to Troy Smith in Bali, which allegedly contained drugs
On Monday, Bali prosecutor’s office spokesman Putu Agus Eka Sabana Putra said Smith’s trafficking offense had been reduced to a less serious drug use charge.
This means Smith no longer faces the maximum penalty of life in prison.
Instead, if convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison and a fine of approximately $739,340, or if the court determines that he is a drug addict, he could face a stint in a halfway house.
Mr Smith’s lawyer, Sienny Karmana, said The advertiser His charges were reduced after the National Narcotics Agency in Bali concluded that he was using drugs for himself.
“The drug assessment team found that he was a drug user,” Ms Karmana said.
“He’s been addicted to drugs for years.”
The anti-narcotics agency, which determines whether people arrested on drug charges in Indonesia are users, addicts or traffickers, also concluded that Smith was not part of any narcotics syndicate.
Karmana said his client needed rehabilitation more than jail.
‘We, as lawyers, only hope that the judge can sentence him to rehabilitation, since he suffers from addiction.
“What he needs now is rehabilitation, not jail.”
Police allegedly found 3.14g of methamphetamine hidden in a tube of Colgate toothpaste that had been sent to Smith from Cairns, in a package that was labeled as containing private documentation, photographs and lubricant.
Smith’s lawyers said the package of drugs was allegedly sent to him by a friend as a thank you for helping with the purchase of a car, and Smith did not know what was in it.
Following his arrest, Mr. Smith was initially held in a cell shared with a dozen other inmates and had only a bucket to use as a bathroom.
However, last week, Smith was transferred to the Anargya Sober House Bali rehabilitation centre, where he will remain while he faces his charges.
Smith is expected to face trial in the coming weeks.
John McLeod, who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail, has been hired by Mr. Smith’s family to help them with their case.
Just over a month ago, Smith was enjoying globetrotting life as a newlywed, having tied the knot with his wife, Tracy Ijusa, after they met on Tinder.
He proposed in Bali in October and the couple tied the knot at the end of December in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, where Ijusa is originally from.
Photos from the day show the couple in love at the Lenana Mount Hotel, while other photos show them visiting the Masai Mara National Reserve wildlife conservation park.
The couple then returned to Bali, with snaps showing the pair enjoying time on the Indonesian island from February.
The father of two was on holiday with his new wife, Tracy, at the time of his arrest.
